Continue reading »]]> Good Advertising creates more production, thus greater consumption, faster turnover and lower sales price per unit. To a great extent it determines the success or failure of the mail order operator!

When working up an advertising program remember that what is genuinely desirable to you may or may not appeal to the majority of your prospects!

Different types of merchandise or services demand completely different advertising media. Your ad must be built around the ADVANTAGES of the product and designed to APPEAL to the specific customers who will BENEFIT from your offer!

Since you MUST spend advertising dollars in order to make money in the mailorder business be sure you spend WISELY and with CONFIDENCE.

RETAIN all advertising information, brochures, sales letter, catalog, etc., you receive. USE THE IDEAS from this information as a guide in formulating your various advertising programs!

There are thousands of top mail order products to choose from, more than you can every use so choose the right ones for your programs!

If the product or service can’t stand the Truth do not advertise it…Don’t handle it! Truth in advertising is a must! Your FIRM NAME, preferable, should be SHORT, DESCRIPTIVE AND EASY TO REMEMBER!

When you find the item that is a mail order “HIT”, repeat your ads on the product in a number of magazines and other productive advertising media in order to PYRAMID YOUR PROFITS TO THE MAXIMUM!

Advertising cost divided by inquiries = Ad cost per inquiry! Advertising cost divided by orders = Ad cost per order! Orders received divided by readership = percent of response! Number of pieces mailed + by orders received = Percent of return!

Continuously use the simple formulas (above) so you will know who your advertising dollars are paying off!

Ad to find new Products: “Calling all manufacturers, importers and suppliers … We will feature and sell your new products in our catalog … Send your information, sample products and programs to…..!”

Test the position of your ads in the various Media!

Test one ad against another on the same offer!

Make your sales letters friendly, clear, simple and to the point!

Your potential customers are more interested in themselves than in your product, consequently your ads and sales letter must be directed toward their point of view and their self-interests! Make them want your product because it will benefit them or will do the job better for them!

Continue reading »]]> Is advertising the ultimate means to inform and help us in our everyday decision-making or is it just an excessively powerful form of mass deception used by companies to persuade their prospects and customers to buy products and services they do not need? Consumers in the global village are exposed to increasing number of advertisement messages and spending for advertisements is increasing accordingly.

It will not be exaggerated if we conclude that we are ‘soaked in this cultural rain of marketing communications’ through TV, press, cinema, Internet, etc. (Hackley and Kitchen, 1999). But if thirty years ago the marketing communication tools were used mainly as a product-centered tactical means, now the promotional mix, and in particular the advertising is focused on signs and semiotics. Some argue that the marketers’ efforts eventually are “turning the economy into symbol so that it means something to the consumer” (Williamson, cited in Anonymous, Marketing Communications, 2006: 569). One critical consequence is that many of the contemporary advertisements “are selling us ourselves” (ibid.)

The abovementioned process is influenced by the commoditisation of products and blurring of consumer’s own perceptions of the companies’ offering. In order to differentiate and position their products and/or services today’s businesses employ advertising which is sometimes considered not only of bad taste, but also as deliberately intrusive and manipulative. The issue of bad advertising is topical to such extent that organisations like Adbusters have embraced the tactics of subvertising – revealing the real intend behind the modern advertising. The Adbusters magazine editor-in-chief Kalle Lason commented on the corporate image building communication activities of the big companies: “We know that oil companies aren’t really friendly to nature, and tobacco companies don’t really care about ethics” (Arnold, 2001). On the other hand, the “ethics and social responsibility are important determinants of such long-term gains as survival, long-term profitability, and competitiveness of the organization” (Singhapakdi, 1999). Without communications strategy that revolves around ethics and social responsibility the concepts of total quality and customer relationships building become elusive. However, there could be no easy clear-cut ethics formula of marketing communications.

ADVERTISING – PRESCIOUS INFORMATION OR VICIOUS MANIPULATION?

In order to get insights into the consumer perception about the role of advertising we have reviewed a number of articles and conducted four in-depth interviews. A number of research papers reach opposed conclusions. These vary from the ones stating that “the ethicality of a firm’s behavior is an important consideration during the purchase decision” and that consumers “will reward ethical behavior by a willingness to pay higher prices for that firm’s product” (Creyer and Ross Jr., 1997) to others stressing that “although consumers may express a desire to support ethical companies, and punish unethical companies, their actual purchase behaviour often remains unaffected by ethical concerns” and that “price, quality and value outweigh ethical criteria in consumer purchase behaviour” (Carrigan and Attalla, 2001). Focusing on the advertising as the most prominent marketing communication tool we have constructed and conducted an interview consisting of four themes and nine questions. The conceptual frame of this paper is built on these four themes.

Continue reading »]]> 1. Why use viral advertising strategies in your business marketing efforts.
2. Using shock therapy to implement an online advertising campaign for your business.
3. Using viral advertising in your social media marketing and Facebook Fanpages will excel your results much faster.
4. Don’t shove your advertising message down their throats, let it go viral naturally.
5. Present unique and creative advertising campaigns to increase traffic and expose new prospects.
6. Creating a viral epidemic of buyers is your main business goal with your advertising strategy.
7. Learning to leverage your advertising budget for sustainable momentum.
8. Establish a success formula that can be repeated in your business viral advertising over and over again.
9. Add the most important ingredient to your advertising campaigns and that is creativity.
10. Be prepared to embrace new technology, software and APPS in your marketing strategy.

1. There is nothing more effective in promoting your message as a good viral advertising campaign. Viral advertising is designed to use the power of many and inspire others to promote your message for you. This is simply “word of mouth” advertising, is amazingly effective. A business owner can start a viral advertising campaign with no money invested, and let the online community spread your message like wildfire. You can now save advertising money that you were spending on newspaper ads, flyers, door hangers, and even TV commercials. Viral advertising is estimated to be 500 and even up to 1000 times more effective that a regular ad campaign.

If you can learn how to express an idea with commitment and dedication that has an emotion attached to it, you will get people’s attention. It doesn’t matter if you are a madman or idiot, even bad press gets good press time. You can’t please everyone but you can get an emotional reaction out of most people, when owning a strong opinion and sharing it. Being neutral in your viral advertising will not bring you in the sales. Have something to say that will impact their life, or at least make them react a bit. Don’t worry about whether or not they love you or hate you, just be confident that your product is worth their attention either way and stay committed to gaining their trust.

2. Get your business noticed by shock marketing, state something completely unexpected that will make them stop and read more. Being dramatic and doing something out of the ordinary with your product gets attention. Are you just marketing advertisements, or are you marketing an extraordinary exiting story about your product. If you Ad is interesting and highlights your product in a subtle way, you will keep people’s attention longer, and get closer to bringing them to the “I want” it stage. Viral advertising is 100% about emotions, so take them by surprise and do something totally unexpected.

3. Set Up Exciting Viral Content in Parts and then sequels, where the viral advertising message continues.

Ever hear of Part 1, Part 2 and Part 3 – once you create Part 1 they start looking for where do I find Part 2 as they want to know the end of the story or the end of the feature comparison prompting them to purchase your product. Make sure you keep their attention once you have it by providing a “Call To Action”. Sell them on the value of why they need your widget, gadget or useful product then introduce an offer they can’t refuse to purchase the product.

The next step is to motivate them to share your awesome and exciting presentation with another associate. This is the meat and potatoes of viral advertising, present information that is so interesting and unique that everyone wants to tell someone else what they read, heard or saw. Set up your “Shock Wave” content so that others can download and then embed it into their own blog or email to others. Upload a short video series on all your advertising “bloopers”, or business bloopers, maybe trying to put together a piece of furniture or equipment and getting it all wrong the first time. Then provide another “Call To Action” using your Facebook Fanpage that they can “Like”, along with the other top social media sharing sites.